BACKGROUND: In breast cancer, gene signatures that predict the risk of metastasis after surgical tumor resection are mainly indicative of early events. The purpose of this study was to identify genes linked to metastatic recurrence more than three years after surgery. METHODS: Affymetrix HG U133A and Plus 2.0 array datasets with information on metastasis-free, disease-free or overall survival were accessed via public repositories. Time restricted Cox regression models were used to identify genes associated with metastasis during or after the first three years post-surgery (early- and late-type genes)...

OBJECTIVE: To improve systems of care to advance implementation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for childhood obesity treatment (i.e., clinicians offer/refer children with obesity to intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions of >25 h over 6 to 12 months to improve weight status) and to expand payment for these services. METHODS: In July 2015, 43 cross-sector stakeholders attended a conference supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, American Academy of Pediatrics Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight, and The Obesity Society...

BACKGROUND: The response to treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not well-characterized in the real-world setting. OBJECTIVE: To describe patients' response to 3 sofosbuvir-based treatment regimens among commercially insured patients with chronic HCV. METHODS: In this observational study, we identified patients with HCV who started sofosbuvir treatment with 1 of 3 sofosbuvir-based regimens between December 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, in the HealthCore Integrated Research Database, a large managed care repository...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article uses a case-based approach to highlight the clinical features as well as recent advances in molecular genetics, muscle imaging, and pathophysiology of the congenital myopathies. RECENT FINDINGS: Congenital myopathies refer to a heterogeneous group of genetic neuromuscular disorders characterized by early-onset muscle weakness, hypotonia, and developmental delay. Congenital myopathies are further classified into core myopathies, centronuclear myopathies, nemaline myopathies, and congenital fiber-type disproportion based on the key pathologic features found in muscle biopsies...

BACKGROUND: Familial long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a primary arrhythmogenic disorder caused by mutations in ion channel genes. The phenotype ranges from asymptomatic individuals to sudden cardiac arrest and death. LQTS is a rare but significant health problem for which global data should exist. This study sought to provide the first clinical and genetic description of Australian families with LQTS. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate clinical and genetic features of families with LQTS...

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate the effect of an individually tailored behavioral medicine treatment in physical therapy, based on a functional behavioral analysis (FBA), for tension-type headache (TTH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two case studies with A1-A2-B-A3 design of two patients with TTH was conducted. Outcome variables were headache frequency, headache index (mean intensity), consumption of analgesics, self-efficacy in headache management (Headache Management Self-efficacy Scale [HMSE]), disability, and perceived loss of happiness for activities with family and friends...

Cytokines provide the means by which immune cells communicate with each other and with parenchymal cells. There are over one hundred cytokines and many exist in families that share receptor components and signal transduction pathways, creating complex networks. Reductionist approaches to understanding the role of specific cytokines, through the use of gene-targeted mice, have revealed further complexity in the form of redundancy and pleiotropy in cytokine function. Creating an understanding of the complex interactions between cytokines and their target cells is challenging experimentally...

BACKGROUND: Gestational hypertensive diseases (GHD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. However, the association between gestational medical diseases and familial history of CVD has not been investigated to date. In the present study, we examined the association between familial history of CVD and GHD or GDM via reliable questionnaires in a large cohort of registered nurses. METHODS: The Korean Nurses' Survey was conducted through a web-based computer-assisted self-interview, which was developed through consultation with cardiologists, gynecologists, and statisticians...

Under-screening may increase the risk of cervical cancer in middle-aged women. This study aimed to investigate cervical cancer screening behaviour and its predictors among women aged 50 years or above. A population-based sample of 959 women was recruited by telephone from domestic households in Hong Kong, using random methods, and a structured questionnaire developed to survey participants. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the factors independently associated with cervical screening behaviour...

Intensive clinical research in the sarcoma field has provided insight into the histopathological diversity of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and led to the introduction of many new agents that promise to play an important role in the management of patients with STS. While an increasing body of scientific data has advanced our knowledge of this complex family of mesenchymal diseases, several controversies remain to be resolved: Is doxorubicin-based therapy still the definitive standard first-line treatment for all patients with unresectable and/or metastatic STS of all subtypes? Is histology-driven therapy beyond gastrointestinal stromal tumors a reality or are we pursuing an unachievable objective? Are we making practical headway in the establishment of sarcoma reference centers? Is it clearly established which is the best parameter to evaluate the efficacy of a new agent in STS?...

To explore the effectiveness of a mentalization-based therapeutic intervention specifically developed for parents in entrenched conflict over their children. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled intervention study in the United Kingdom to work with both parents postseparation, and the first to focus on mentalization in this situation. Using a mixed-methods study design, 30 parents were randomly allocated to either mentalization-based therapy for parental conflict-Parenting Together, or the Parents' Group, a psycho-educational intervention for separated parents based on elements of the Separated Parents Information Program-part of the U...

Hereditary fever syndromes (HFS) include a group of disorders characterized by recurrent self-limited episodes of fever accompanied by inflammatory manifestations occurring in the absence of infection or autoimmune reaction. Advances in the genetics of HFS have led to the identification of new gene families and pathways involved in the regulation of inflammation and innate immunity. The key role of several cytokine networks in the pathogenesis of HFS has been underlined by several groups, and supported by the rapid response of patients to targeted cytokine blocking therapies...

INTRODUCTION: It is unclear whether using peers can improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). To construct the World Health Organization's global guidance on adherence interventions, we conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of using peers for achieving adequate adherence and viral suppression. METHODS: We searched for randomized clinical trials of peer-based interventions to promote adherence to ART in HIV populations...

The first clinical description of Parkinson's disease (PD) will embrace its two century anniversary in 2017. For the past 30 years, mitochondrial dysfunction has been hypothesized to play a central role in the pathobiology of this devastating neurodegenerative disease. The identifications of mutations in genes encoding PINK1 (PTEN-induced kinase 1) and Parkin (E3 ubiquitin ligase) in familial PD and their functional association with mitochondrial quality control provided further support to this hypothesis. Recent research focused mainly on their key involvement in the clearance of damaged mitochondria, a process known as mitophagy...

BACKGROUND: Social background is important in preventing admission/readmission of heart failure (HF) patients. However, few clinical studies have been conducted to assess the social background of these patients, especially elderly patients.Methods and Results:The Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure (KICKOFF) Registry is a prospective multicenter community-based cohort of HF patients, established in April 2015. We compared the clinical characteristics and social background of the super-elderly group (≥85 years old) and the non-super-elderly group (<85 years old)...

Endocrine tumor syndromes, eg, multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2, were among the first recognized hereditary predisposition syndromes to tumor development. Over time, the number of endocrine tumor syndromes has significantly expanded, eg, with the recent inclusion of hereditary paraganglioma syndromes. Associations of non-endocrine tumors with hereditary endocrine tumor syndromes and endocrine tumors with non-classical endocrine tumor syndromes have emerged. These findings have certainly expanded the scope of care, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach by a team of medical professionals and researchers, integrating shared patient decision-making at every step of surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment...

HOW TO OBTAIN CONTACT HOURS BY READING THIS ARTICLE INSTRUCTIONS 1.4 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http://goo...